Parramatta Eels great Nathan Hindmarsh has slammed Adam Doueihi’s decision to withdraw from the Wests Tigers’ clash with the Canberra Raiders on Saturday afternoon after he was involved in a reported dispute with coach Benji Marshall.
Hindmarsh declared that the stat halfback should be sent down to reserve-grade after he refused to switch positions and play in the forwards as a lock
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“I’d be embarrassed. It is so bad. It is honestly so bad, not just for Doueihi but for Benji and the club,” Hindmarsh said on Fox League.
“It’s not like he hasn’t played that position before. He’s had a few cracks in the middle and at 13 last year. The defence took it out of him a little bit. But you’re one of if not the best player in the side at the moment.
“Everyone is talking about how well you are playing. You are in the talk about Origin and then all of a sudden you turn around and tell your coach you don’t want to play 13… it sounds like a spoiled brat.
“Hopefully we’ve got it all wrong… there has to be more to it… not just the fact he’s been named at 13 and doesn’t want to play. And now he’s got the week off. Go play him in reserve grade.”
Doueihi & Benji saga explained | 02:13
Meanwhile, Luke Keary believes that the latest drama could be a sign that crack could begin to emerge within the Tigers playing group who are still dealing with the fallout from Jarome Luai’s impending departure.
“It’s a bizarre situation,” Keary said.
“In my career, no player has not played because they are played out of position. I’ve never heard of it before. I don’t know how he walks back into training on Monday. The other thing is when you do that to your coach, I’m unsure how the coach can bring him back. It’s almost untenable.
“I said it three weeks ago when the Luai stuff came out (with) that decision, you’d see things come out after about three or four weeks because there is going to be a lot of people in that club and team who weren’t happy.
“He said before he was all-in… and there’d be players that are against it and players who really back Luai and support his decision.
“He’s (Doueihi) probably saying to Benji why isn’t Jarome not in the team, I’m going to be here next year… that would be one of his arguments for sure.”
Marshall’s former Kiwi international teammate Jared Waerea-Hargreaves said the whole situation was a “bit of a shambles”.
“He’s obviously been one of their best players all year and he’s been playing some some consistent footy. But I’m a big believer of whatever the coach says you sort of have to follow suit, and him sort of kicking up the sink and saying that he doesn’t want to play this week is a bit iffy,” Waerea-Hargreaves added on ‘The Late Show with Matty Johns’.
Doueihi reportedly rules himself out | 01:11
Lost amid the fallout is teenage playmaker Javon Andrews who will make his NRL debut on Saturday after being called into the side.
Continuing to speak about the situation, Hindmarsh believes that the drama involving Doueihi had overshadowed what should have been a memorable moment for the rookie Under-19s Queensland Maroons representative.
This saw Panther great Greg Alexander label it an “uncomfortable” situation.
“How do you think young Javon will be feeling… how bad would you feel, ‘I’ve forced Adam Doueihi to have a blow-up with the coach’ because he has to play 13… you’d feel shocking,” added Hindmarsh, while Bryan Fletcher said Andrews would be questioning “is it my fault?”.
While so much of the reaction has centred on Doueihi’s refusal to play at lock, there hasn’t been as much thought given to whether it would have worked in the first place.
Doueihi has been in sensational form at halfback and a move to lock would have not made sense earlier in the year given Alex Twal was enjoying a breakout season at the position.
However, with the Tigers’ finals hopes fading fast there is something to be said about experimenting in new positions at the back end of the year and seeing what you have in a young kid like Andrews who could be the future in the halves.
Matty Johns could see where Doueihi’s frustrations may be stemming from, but he also suggested a move to 13 makes plenty of sense from a tactical standpoint.
“I can see both sides,” Johns said.
“I can imagine Doueihi would feel undervalued at times. He has been their most important player and I think he’s been their best player and he’s been moved around a lot of times. Often times if there’s a press conference and they need someone to talk, it’s Adam.
“I think in his mind he probably feels undervalued and if he does, I get it. Not (undervalued in terms of money) but how he’s talked about because it’s always been Jarome’s side.
“But I’ll just say this… I know Adam considers himself a seven or six. He’s been outstanding there, but I’ve often thought for a while I can see Adam Doueihi being an outstanding 13. Actually becoming in time an Isaah Yeo class 13.
“At the end of the day, it’s Adam’s career and he sees himself as a seven or a six, but I can support Benji on that. I think it was a combination that I believe would work.
“Purely from a tactical sense, I just see it working. Andrews is a very, very talented young bloke. I think an injection of youth and some fresh ideas in the creativity sense would be very good.
“Luai at six has got experience, and I’ve watched Adam play since he’s been a schoolboy… (he’s) always been a very unbelievably talented kid. I’ve always looked at him and thought to myself, ‘I never quite know what position he is. Is he a fullback? Is he a centre? Is he a six? Is he a seven? He probably was not big enough when he was younger to be a 13.
“I’ve seen him start to play his best football in the last 12 months, and it has been in a playmaker role in the seven and six, but I’ve always thought to myself that I thought Adam Doueihi as a player would settle and play his very best football over a long period of time at 13.”
Out of all the drama though, Johns said he hoped Marshall and Doueihi would be able to find a resolution and that this would not be the end of the versatile 27-year-old’s season.
“You’d hate to think this is basically a deal breaker,” Johns added.